ROGERS — Several Rogers children got the opportunity Tuesday to create the playground of their dreams that will be built on city property near the public library.
Having children design a playground is the first step in a joint venture between the city, KaBOOM and the Dr Pepper Snapple Group to build a playground on 2.95 acres at 1507 W. Pine St. near the Rogers Public Library.
KaBOOM, a nonprofit organization, puts sponsors together with cities to build playgrounds. KaBOOM has helped communities build 1,800 parks in America. The city applied for was awarded a KaBOOM grant to build the playground at no cost to the city.
The Dr Pepper Snapple Group is providing the money for the playground equipment and supplying 80 volunteers to help assemble the equipment in one day, rain or shine, said Javier Gomez, KaBOOM associate project manager, who led the youth design session Tuesday at the public library.
“The kids are the playground experts,” Gomez said. “Who better to design a playground than children.”
Gomez asked the children how long they thought it would take to build a playground. Answers ranged from 10,000 years, to three months to one day.
AT A GLANCE
City Playground
The playground equipment will cost approximately $50,000 according to estimates.
Volunteers from Rogers, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, park department employees, members of the Optimist Club and others will assemble the equipment in six hours, rain or shine.
The library staff plans to use the park and playground area as an outdoor classroom upon completion.
Residents wishing to participate should contact Rick Stocker, parks and recreation director at 631-0336, ext. 435.
Source: Staff Report
Kara Arvidson, Dr Pepper Snapple national account executive, who works with Walmart and Sam’s Club, said the company had been involved with KaBOOM for two years.
“We financed three projects in 2009 and this year we are planning to do 10 projects. It’s a way for us to be involved in the community and help kids play. It’s exciting and fun for us. People in our organization want to volunteer and often bring in other people they know to help build the playground,” Arvidson said.
Arvidson estimates the 10 playgrounds they will help finance and build this year will benefit more than 100,000 children.
Children from ages 4 to 14 sat on tables with a bucket of crayons and white sheet of paper to design the playground.
Some of the children, recruited by library officials, came prepared and had already sketched out at home what they would like to see.
Jeff Wall, 8 years old and his brother Bryce, 9 1/2 years old were wearing their Cub Scout uniforms as they transferred the drawings they made at home to paper provided by KaBOOM.
Jeff said he wanted a big slide. Bryce had an elevated walkway in his design.
P.J. Rose, 11, included a rope mountain, raised club houses on poles and a rock wall for climbing in his playground design.
The children were given 30 minutes to complete their designs. Then, one by one, the children held their drawings and explained their designs with KaBOOM and Dr Pepper officials making a list of common items the majority of children wanted.
On build day, Sept. 16, approximately 200 volunteers are expected to assemble the playground equipment in about six hours, Gomez said.
“We call it organized chaos,” he said with a smile. “I will be here a couple of days before the build day to make sure everything is ready, then we will put it together.”